If I had been at the mall... I would never have met a squirrel reading a newspaper!

I wasn't really sure how I was going to follow up last week's inaugural post.  I mean, what can compare to meeting RICK MERCER??  And then I found him.  The inspiration to continue with the mall-fast.  I was weaving my way home from Tiramisu (124th Street and 108 Ave) last Thursday night after some fantastic food, wine and even better company, when I walked right up to this.

It's squirrel.  A giant, bronze-ish squirrel.   On a bench.  Reading a newspaper.  I love him.  There was a plaque next to him that I couldn't read so I went back a few days later with a designated reader, excited to find out what the back story was on this guy.  Maybe the house belonged to a novelist who wrote about a superhero squirrel the size of a toddler going on wild adventures and fighting crime!  Maybe it was a fraternity house whose members have passion for rodents and current events.  So many possibilities!  So we got there and the plaque says that this is a historical landmark and the former house of Dr. Somebody.  That's it???  No explanation whatsoever??  Not even a mention of the squirrel??  I decided I had no choice but to come up with my own explanation.  This week I received a gift from my employer for five years of dedicated service.  This was my gift: 

Wolfgang and Puck

It all came together for me.  If a tiny, plasticky, wolf figurine is what you get for five years of service in the public sector, a two foot metal squirrel on a bench must be what you get for 50 years!!  I absolutely cannot wait the 45 years it's going to take to get my platinum, giant tortoise looking in a mirror and applying lipstick on my front lawn!!  

Saturday I spent the afternoon with Katreenah Jewellery at the Downtown Market.  Katreenah is a gorgeous line of jewellery created by Katrina Petryshyn, a local designer and metal smith. I met Katrina  in five years ago in Turkey at our hostel's evening "spoon dancing" event.  Spoon dancing is apparently a Turkish custom where you dance with wooden spoons to an 80s dance mix with some Simon Says thrown in. Being that I never saw this "tradition" take place anywhere else in Turkey, I am still not sure it wasn't just an attempt by Ali and his brother (hostel owners) to entertain themselves with foolish tourists!  

Oh and the hats!  I completely forgot about the homemade shriners hats we had to wear!!  We all look like we're having fun, though, and if it weren't for that spoon dance I would never have met Katrina!  Right.  Back to the jewels.  So I spent the afternoon trying on many different pieces of jewellery at once and greeting market goers and even covered the booth while Katrina got lunch!  I was only in charge for about 8 minutes but it was long enough to make me feel extremely important.  I even made a sale!  Also of note, I bought cheese from a table two down from Katreenah Jewellery.  Best.  Cheese.  Ever.  Anyway, Katrina is a lovely, generous, talented woman and she makes absolutely beautiful things so please check out her website or her booth at the market!!

Yep.  Those are my boobs.  I'm trying to increase my readership...

The other amazing local business I got to experience last week was The Makeup Art Space.  I was looking for a mall-free girls night activity for my friend Jenny's birthday and the internet machine brought me to Gaylynne Fell, a makeup artist, business owner and creator of her own line of quality, safe and cruelty-free makeup. Gaylynne was super friendly, knowledgable and a lot of fun!  And her makeup... oh, the makeup.  It is incredible.  You know I would never lie to you about makeup.  Gaylynne's got the good stuff.  It's got the quality of high-end lines without all the nasty stuff that is often found in those cosmetics.  It's all made in Canada, cruelty-free and priced really reasonably.  When I started this challenge I was pretty sure I was going to need to check myself into rehab to deal with my beauty product jones-ing.  And then I met Gaylynne.  My own personal dealer.  She doesn't know it yet but she's probably going to have to meet me in back alleys at all hours of the night to sell me blush... When you're fixin' for a peachy-pink with a hint of shimmer, you've gotta do what you've gotta do.    

Wow, wild animal statues, jewels and a locally-sourced makeup.  It never would've happened at the mall!